Pretty Poison
by Spacebabie
Summary: Ambrosia Leahs plans for another party at her mansion. The Pack is on security and a few unexpected guests drop in, including Brooklyn's patrol group and two sisters with plans on helping the gargoyle race.


All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of Spacebabie

by Spacebabie

**Pretty Poison

* * *

**

St George, New Brunswick, Canada

Waves of sapphire blue lapped against the sturdy poles of the piers and the strong steel bodies of the ships, anchored in the berths of the pier. Many of the slips and berths seemed abandoned, save for a few dock workers strolling across the wooden boards. The ships with the most activity were those that have recently dropped anchor or those ready to set sail. People scrambled up and down the metallic planks while stevedore's carried packages and crates aboard, or carefully unloaded them.

One dockmaster stood on the edge of an empty berth. His narrowed eyes focused on an approaching ship, silotted from the sun setting behind it. He felt a chill to his skin, from the wind that didn't realize winter was over and rolled down the sleeves of his blue and black checkered, flannel jacket. The cold beeses brushed through hs slightly disheveleddark thair that had started to go gray near the temples.

"Your linens have arrived," the dockmaster checked his watch. Despite the thin scratches on the glass surface he could still make out the time. "Right on time."

The man he addressed nodded nervously as he wrapped his arms tighter against his chest. "I never had any doubts." His large eyes blinked as he tried to keep warm, wishing he had brought a coat to wear over his suit jacket.

The dockmaster turned his eyes away from the businessman in disgust. Businessmen shouldn't be anywhere need the shipyard. They should stay back in their fancy offices and allow the people they hire to oversee the delivery of their cargo from ship to UPS.

"Get ready to back up," he barked to his crew. The cluster of his men and women stood behind the shivering businessmen. "She's ready to come in."

The businessman danced backwards along with the crew, and seemed to slip behind them, either from behind pulled back or by trying to shove his weak body through them. The dockmaster didn't care and he was sure his workers didn't care either.

_Sea Maiden Roquell_ was still for a few minutes before the anchor descended and landed in the water at a speed high enough for a loud splash to be heard. Sea water sprayed up against the ship and the pier. The small converyor belt, saved for the medium sized ships, was wheeled towards the bow while the loading plank descended.

"Call the guards!" The deck hadn't even touched the wharf when one of the sailors scrambled down the plank and nearly tripped when his feet struck the the wooden planks of the pier. He was a short and wiry as the businessman but had the common sense to wear the proper clothing. He glanced back at the ship as another crewman and woman quickly raced down followed by the captain.

The dockmaster took one look at the trembling man before staring at the ship's captain. "What is going on here? Where is the rest of your crew?"

"In the cargo hold," the middle aged captain replied. His pale green eyes were as wide as his crew mates. Enough sweat covered his face to make it appear his glasses were about to slide off his nose.

"They can help." He signaled to his crew with a snap of his fingers and began to board the ship, only pausing when he felt a pair of strong hands grab his shoulders. He turned around to face the captain.

"Donae open the cargo hold."

"Your crew is in there."

The captain nodded once. "And so are those creatures."

Deep roars, like those of a lion or tiger and a few cries of mountain lions echoed from the cargo hold after the last remains of sunlight faded into the aquatic horizon. The members of the ship's crew, including the captain, began to tremble and inched down the pier.

The Dockmaster paused, feeling frozen tingle creep down his back as a mixture of feelings washed over his heart. "What was that."

"The creatures," the captain blinked for what seemed like the first time he had exited his ship. "They stood away in a few crates. We had to seal the cargo hold to ke-"

"You locked members of your own crew with whatever made that sound?" The dockmaster's face flushed crimson. His fingers curled around the Captain's collar, feeling as if his fingers could force themselves through the material. "We are opening it now."

"What about the creatures?" The female sailor asked from her position behind the captain.

"Frigg the creatures. The rest of your crew might still be alive." He stepped off the plank and pointed at the first sailor who raced form his ship. "Get Mr. Peterson out of here." He stared at his own crew. "Those of you with knives follow me and the captain. The rest of you get security and call the authorities." he never removed his grip from the older man's collar as he dragged the frightened man up the plank.

"Ye donae seem ta understand," The captain didn't even try to resist as he was pulled. He glanced behind him to see if anyone was coming to his aid and felt his stomach drop when all he saw were four of the dock workers. "Ye havena seen these monsters."

"Monsters?" The dockmaster dropped the captain on the deck next to the double doors of the cargo hold. "Open it."

The captain trembled as he stared into the determined gaze of the dockmaster. "If these beasts decide ta feed on human flesh it will be yers."

"Open it," the dockmaster unsheathed his knife and unfolded the curved blade. The seven inch blade ended in a pointed curve. The four coworkers behind him removed their knives. The woman with the frizzled ends and a glass eye brought along two.

"If ye be thinking ye can protect yourselves wit those mere pocketknives then ye be bigger fools than I thought." He pressed the release button and quickly stepped back as the curved doors unfolded on it's hinges.

"Now we'll see what the frigg this is about," the dockmaster approached the gaping pit of the cargo hold with cautious steps.

A pair of crimson eyes peeked out form the darkness before a flash of pale green and white overtook his vision as he was tackled to the ground, his knife lost the second his body impacted against the metal floor of the ship. He regained his thoughts once the inital shock had worn down and opened his eyes to see what had tackled him.

His gaze was met with scarlet light gleaming from the eyes of the pale green creaure holding him down. Tiny nostrils of the comely face flared while her crimson, lush lips were pulled into a snarl, fangs curled out from her mouth.

The captain backed away from the sight of the pale green gargoyle like creature until his back came into contact with the metal exterior of the wheel room. The gargoyle's dark green wings were spread out over the dockmaster, draping the poor man with her leathery appendages. Her pale blond hair streamed past her shoulders down to the base of her tail.

The rest of the crew were battling with three other creatures that emerged form the cargo pit, All three of them had wings and long tails but they were different from the woman. Their grayish green skin appeared dried out and stretched across their bones. Their wings were the same: large and bat like in shape with two spindly ribs and a single hooked claw at the end of their wing arms. Their tails were thicker than hers and their feet ended in three toes instead of four. The scariest feature were their eyes. No sclera, irises, or pupils, just pale silver. Their vacant zombie like faces remained expressionless as they fought against the dock workers.

The last being to emerge form the cargo hold was a child. The small girl defied gravity and floated out of the pit and over to the captain. Her round, crimson eyes widened at the sight ofthe trembling human. Her mouth set in a mischievous smile as she neared the frightened man.

"Ye are not a real child," the captain sputtered. The small creature's false innocence was enhanced by her frilly, yellow dress and saccharine smile. A pair of black, bat shaped wings poked through the top of her dark purple hair, cut into a fringed bob.

"I am a child," the girl raised a hand. Her long, black nails contrasted with her ghostly white skin. She swiped her hand across his arm, cutting through both his clothes and his flesh. "And as you can see and feel, I am real."

The dock master tried to wrench his arms free from the pale green creature, but her grip was strong. "Your a gargoyle?" He wasn't sure if she was or not, but she looked like the creature described by tabloids from America and England.

The light faded from the gargoyle's gaze. She listened, as her servant's and sister continued to fight the other humans. The end of her tail twitched at the sound of a splash made by a human falling over board. She squeezed the wrists of the man until he gasped and his fingers took on a purplish pink color.

"Can you sing?" She hissed the question into his ear. Her nostrils twitched as if she could smell if he had the audible talent through is sweat.

"Like a duck."

"There is only one way to tell if you are lying or not." The human's eyes seemed sincere but there was only one way for her to be certain. She bit down onto his shoulder, ignoring his gasps as her tongue swept across the blood spilling from the puncture she made. The bitter taste made her stomach twitch.

"You speak the truth," she spat the blood out onto his face. "Can any of your servants sing?"

"Sister!" the child like fae floated high above the ship. Her eyes were focused on the crowd of people approaching. Beams of light from their flashlights crawled over the pier. Her nose picked up the scent of iron from the guns a few of them carried. "More people are coming."

"Let them come," she never removed her gaze from the dockmaster. His weathered face was attractive for a human, but he appeared to be over forty. Too old for her taste. "Some of them might be singers."

"Some of them have guns."

"Cursed weaponry," the Gargoyle Sidhe hissed. She craved a human with the voice of a nightingale. A voice the human she had pinned clearly did not possess. "Don't worry. You shall evolve tonight." She released her grip from his wrists only to scratch his arm with one of her long, bright orange nails.

"Hurry!" Gwenwyna Sidhe squealed. Several humans were already assisting the human who was thrown into the water and another who was throne onto the pier.

"Lets go," she barked to her dead eyed servants as she spread her wings, allowing the sea air to lift her from the ship.

The dockmaster waited until she and the last of the servants had left the ship before he sat up. His wrists were still sore from her firm grip, but the arm she had scratched throbbed with the dull ache he usually felt when he received a flu shot. He rolled over towards the Wheel room. The captain sat their unmoving save for his chest as he took deep breaths., and his eyes while unable to see clearly with his glasses on the ground were focusing on something behind the the dockmaster. The man searched for the rest of those who accompanied him. The single woman was holding the unconcious form of another on the ship, while she had her fair share of scratches and bruises her knife was coated with a grayish green ooze.

"There are more of them." The captain's spoke in a sotto voice. His tongue and throat had become dry when the child scratched him with her poison nail. His eyes were staring at the male gargoyle trying to claw his way out of the cargo hold.

"Did she get ye?" The male gargoyle was the color of rusted metal. A single thin spike topped the center of his head and was surrounded by dark hair the color of honey. He was dressed in a dark plum colored flannel shirt and a thick padded vest More gargoyles began to climb out behind him.

"Get me?" the dockmaster backed up in his tracks, pausing when his heels met with the Captain. He turned briefly to see the man just lying there, even with the thick shoes nudging against his legs.

"I can't move," the captain strained his voice as he struggled to turn his head.

"Did the little one get ye captain?" the red gargoyle asked. His browridges were turned up in sympathy. "The little' ones nails causes ye to become paralyzed, but it only lasts fer an hour."

"Is that ye Reece?" The gray haired man reconized the voice of one of his crewman. His current condition prevented him from expressing his true emotion of relief that some of his crew were still alive.

"Tis me Captain."

"Are the others alive?"

Reece turned to the other gargoyles as they climbed out. One of them was bald, his head was covered with two rows of short curled horns. One of the females was dark blue. Her mouth was a long and thick beak. Another had wings shaped almost like perfect triangles "We are alive, but we have been changed."

"Your the crew?" The dockmaster stared at both the captain and Reece in bewilderment. The material near the base of the red gargoyles double claw tipped wings were torn.with delicate threads waving in the breeze. "How?" The numbing pain from his arm had traveled up to his shoulder and had begun to creep through his side and chest.

Reece hung his head. "We were human until the female gargoyle with long hair scratched us. Her claws transformed us."

"Dear God," The captain gasped.

"It was just a scratch?" The dockmaster stared at his arm, realizing what kind of poison was spreading through his system.

"Aye," Reece fully emerged from the edge of the hold. His high arched feet gripped the ground while his tail was raised, the bulb shaped tip was level of the deck. "We doane know if there is a cure. I'm sorry to say it will be long and painful."

* * *

Manhattan

The mail that made it to the desk of Dominique Destine was divided into two piles. One was for business related mail and the second was for personal. Except for a few magazines, Dominique rarely received any mail at her home in the castle. She did not fare much better at her office. The stack of buisness mail towered over the pitiful pile of personal.

She went through her business pile first, signing forms to either approve or disapprove, reading reports from the different departments. She went through her mail during lunch, feeling she will have more work done if she didn't waste time to visit a deli or to take a lunch in one of the break rooms.

The first letter Dominique received was from her inlaws. A card with a picture of pale flowers and letters written in gold. They had sent her an Easter greeting They still thought she was catholic. There was something to look forward to. An image of the children gathered at the dining hall, dying eggs and laughing. The clan designing beautiful baskets full of candy and toys. Passover was also coming up and she and her family will be enjoying a Passover dinner with her in-laws.

The second letter came in an envelope so white it nearly hurt Dominique's eyes to stare at it. The return address came form the mansion of Ambrosia Leahs.

"We had the quarterly review last month," Dominique used the silver plated, dagger shaped letter opener to slice through the top of the envelope. Her fingernails, painted a brilliant red, slid into crevice and extracted the delicate paper, almost as thin as tissue paper. "She doesn't use this paper unless it's for an invitation. Perhaps she wants to have brunch."

Dear Friend

You have been cordially invited to small party at my mansion on March 20th. There will be a buffet style dinner, a bar and music.I am looking forward to see you there.

Sincerely

Ambrosia Leahs.

Dominique set the invitation down and picked up the envelope, feeling the thickness of something else occupying it. She slid her fingers in and pulled out two paper tickets, each one the size of a business card. The second ticket was obviously for her husband, but there was no way she or Matt could attend without the world knowing their secret. Ambrosia knew this and yet she still sent the invitation.

"Mary Anne, could you please come in here?" Dominique released the button of her intercom and brushed the remains of the mail into her palm. She had the addresses written into her filo fax and didn't need to hold onto the paper cocoons the letters came in.

"Yes, Ms Bluestone-Destine?" Mary Anne stepped into the office a few seconds after she had been requested to. Her bright blue eyes sparkled warmly while her smile was wide enough to connect from one ear to the other. It was a face she never showed to any of the other coworkers. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Actually I called you in to give you something," Dominique tried to return her smile. She swept the invite and the tickets to the end of her desk, facing her secretary. "I have been sent an invite to gallant extravaganza at the Leahs mansion. It takes place at night, meaning I, nor my husband can attend. I want you to go in my stead."

The blond woman blinked. "You mean it?"

"I mean it. You will be representing Nightstone Unlimited for me. Bring your husband. I feel you both deserve a treat."

* * *

White Plains, New York

The young mail clerk rolled his cart through the cubicle lined hallways of Proceon. His head was crowned with headphones, pouring alternative rock music through his ears at a volume low enough to not cause any background noise that might distract the other coworkers. The office still smelled new to him, fresh and clean, but did not have disinfectant smell that causes his head to swim slightly. The carpet was new, no stains at all. The cubicles still shone with newness. Everything looked like it was built yesterday. It makes sense since Proceon started a few months ago.

"Mail call people," he slid the headphones down, allowing them to rest on his shoulders as he read out the names on the envelopes and boxes.

With last mail delivered to the desks he rode the elevator to the top floor. Silence greeted him as he entered, or would have greeted him if he wasn't listening to his music. There were no phones ringing or keyboards being typed as he walked down the hallway of the executive offices. He didn't have to knock on the doors to the smaller offices,. He just had to slip the mail in through the mail slot. He wondered if he was ever going to see any of the higher ups face to face, especially the big boss. The man behind the door with the sign: Reginald Leahs.

The twenty eight year old business man sat back in his chair covered with a thick plush like covering as he read through his mail. Chestnut brown hair was cut into a neat executive style. His bright blue eyes, tinted purple, read over each piece of mail.

The return address of the last letter caught his attention. "Mother?" He felt a nervous tingle radiate through his body. Did his mother know where he had relocated? The letter was addressed to the president of Procoen, not to Reginald Leahs. He opened it without a second thought and dumped the contents out on his desk: two tickets and a letter written on thin paper.

"She doesn't know it's me," he smiled crudely at the recognition of the paper. He had printed out several letters on the exact same material. They were used for special invitations, and she never hand written a single one. They were generic greetings typed out on a computer and printed several times.

"Greetings Felicia," he pressed down on the intercom button connecting his office with that of his secratary's. "Your are not going to believe what I just received in my inbox. I got a letter from my mother."

"You didn't tell her where we are," Felicia's sarchonic voice came through the intercom smoothly and with out any static feedback.

"She doesn't know who we are," Reginald chuckled. He swiped one of the tickets from his desk and read the simple bold print. "My name is not found on the letter or the tickets."

"What kind of invite is it for?"

"She's hosting one of her gala extravaganza's. It's for the big wigs and the business up and comer's. She must have heard of us, but didn't quite check to see who is in charge." He picked up the second ticket. "The invitation is for me and a friend. I'm thinking of bringing you."

"You know I can't. There is no way I can find anyone to sit for Relena."

"Right," he felt like kicking himself. If Felecia's daughter was an ordinary human then finding a sitter would have been a simple task, but Relena's father was eighty percent gargoyle and passed along several of his features onto his daughter including his wings and tail. Maybe it would have been for the best. Felicia's bright, pink hair would have stood out. "Perhaps I'll ask Seneca to join us." It might be bit of a thrill for the young genius, and hopefully it will give her a break from her med school studies.

* * *

Floral Park, Queens

A scrap of thin paper, too delicate to be a mere waste, was caught against a branch of one of the many trees lining the area around the children's playground. A strong gust of air wrestled the invitation form the tree's clutch and whisked it into the hands of the only child not playing.

Small hands that were normally white, but had changed to pinkish peach held onto the thin paper. The Gwenwyna Sidhe had changed her guise to that of a human child. Her wings on her head were gone and her ears were small and round. Her coloration darkened and her red eyes darkened to a brassy brown color.

"Why would anyone want to throw this away?" She asked as the scene around her melted away and reshaped into the abandoned car repair shop her sister and her servants had taken up residence in. Her appearance shifted to her preferred form.

"Sister?" The child like fae floated though the abandoned garage's searching for where her sister might have roosted. Her sister was only half gargoyle, never needing to turn to stone unless she wanted to, or if she was weak or injured. The iron based weapons of several of the human's guns and knives injured her older sister the night before when they sought shelter. It had been nights since they had evolved anyone or found anyone who could sing.

She found the Gargoyle Sidhe's stone form, resting in a sitting up right position, surrounded by her seven servants. "Sister wake up. I found something interesting."

Tiny fractures threaded it's way through the Sidhe's statue, connecting at tiny pnpoints before the pieces flew off and scattered across the ground. Crimson light flooded the room as the halfing stood up. Not a roar left her mouth, but rather a yawn.

"Sister, look what I found." She held up the thin letter in front of her. "It was stuck to a tree and it blew towards me."

"Did anyone see you, Gwenny?" The Gargoyle Sidhe asked, using her sister's nickname while she gently took the paper out of her younger sister's hands.

"Nobody saw me," Gwenny shook her head. "I looked like everyone else and there was no one around when I apparated. "Nobody saw me."

"Good," Before they were imprisoned they could have staid out in plain sight much longer, destroying the humans one by one and replacing them with gargoyles, but now with their advanced weaponry, they had to hide themsevles. They were only able to seek out singers and evolve the humans a little at the time. "this is interesting." She read the letter. A fancy party on the other side of town was too tempting.

"I'm pretty sure there will be many fancy people that will attend the party and at least a dozen people who can sing."

"Heavenly nectar," her lips parted at the thought of her teeth cutting through the throat of person who could sing like a clarinet. It was hard to find out anyone who could possessed a beautiful singing voice, unless they were already sining. She heard music and humans with vocal talent coming from tiny machines other humans carried. To her disappointment she had learned the ones who made the music were either traveling across the country or lived far away. "The people that are attending are from high society. Fitting a clan shall hatch from them."

"How can we go, Gara?" It was the nickname she used for her older sister. "We don't have the tickets."

"No, but we can make them." She handed the invitation back to the small Fae. "Your powers are stronger than mine."

The child like Fae stared at the letter in her hand, concentrating as if she could see the real tickets. "Of pretty words that are fun to read, become the tickets we truly need." The paper twitched in her hands, stretching as it narrowed until the middle was as thin and delicate as a thread and snapped in half. The two sections continued to change, reshaping into small rectangles as they thickened into single pieces that was not quite strong as cardboard. Bold letters materialized on the top.

* * *

Manhattan

Ambrosia Leahs stared out of her office window and at the city below her. The cars on the street appeared to be the size of insects, the sun glinted off their metal farms like a beetle's chitin. The few decorative trees appeared as dots, too far away too notice any signs of green.

Her pale blond hair had developed more silver bolts of gray in the past few months and tiny creases formed around her pale bluish purple eyes. Her lips, painted in a pale pink shade of lipstick, always was pursed like she was eternally sucking a lime.

"You may already know why I have called you in here," she didn't wait until the door closed for her to address her guests. "I'm throwing a ball at my mansion in a few days."

"Let me guess, you want us on security?" The gruff voice, tinged with an animalistic growl asked.

"I knew you would have interrupted me, Wolf," Ambrosia spun around in her chair till she faced her desk and the four individuals standing in front of her. Two were cycborgs, both twin brother and sister with the same shade of sable brown hair and brown eyes. Their security guard uniforms did nothing to hide their gold metal covered hands. The only human of the group was dressed in expensive blue shut. His long blond hair was tied into a ponytail, held fast by an elastic, and left only his bangs to curve up and down in wide arches. The individual she addressed was also dressed in the uniform of a security guard, but it had to be mended to fit over his hairy wolfish body and recently two slits were added in the back for his pair of furry, bat-like wings. "That is why I didn't finish on purpose."

"That mean's I didn't interrupt you?" Wolf turned up his eyes in bewilderment as he removed his hat and scratched the top of his gray, furry head.

"Yes it does," Ambrosia placed her elbows on the top of her desk and and palced one hand on top of the other. "You are correct. I am always prepared for the worst and I have feeling someone will try to crash my ball."

"Do we get to eat?" Wolf asked. The lips of his canine muzzle pulled back to reveal rows of sharp, ivory teeth.

"There will be food," Leahs assured. "Buffet tables set up and filled with food. Various meat dishes, pasta's, rice, and vegetables."

"Who cares about food," Jackal turned his nose up at the mutate. "My sister and I are more interested in money."

"I care about food," the mutate growled. The end of his long snout touched the end of Jackal's nose. "Unlike you I can still enjoy some of life's simple pleasures."

The male cycborge gritted his teeth. "Simple is the right word."

"Can't we have one meeting where the three of ye donae fight like children?" Jon slipped in between the two pack members, hoping a mere touch from his hands would be enough to get them to both take a step back. If they firmly stood their place he would leave them be. During the day they were much too strong for him.

"Thank you, Jon. I know this is why I asked you to be here and provide security." Her eyebrows turned up in a smile even though her mouth remained the same. "You will be paid in food and drinks."

"No money?" Hyena's shriek screeched out before her brother had a chance to reply. Her hands, curled into fists, rested on the sides of her hips. "What makes you think we are going to do a little extra work without pay?"

Ambrosia chuckled. "Because I'm allowing you to become as rough as you want with any gate crashers. If they harass my guests, you can hurt them, break a few bones and spill a little blood. If they show any weapons you may kill them."

"We get to kill," Hyena repeated. A single gold finger was brought to her mouth as she pondered over the bonus to their assignment.

"If they only have weapons," Ambrosia raised a finger.

"That is really nice," Jackal said. He positioned himself between Wolf and his sister and brought up his hands to point at them. "You please the beast through his stomach and promised a bit more fun for my sister. What about me? I want money."

"You are not getting any more money," Ambrosia steepled her fingers, showing off her expensive French manicure. "This little side job is to make up for your past upgrades. You didn't think they were free?"

"That was six months ago!" Jackal barked. His fists slammed down hard on top of the table.

"Consider it as a buy now and pay later situation," Jon grabbed onto the cyborg's shoulders and tried to pull him back with no avail. Wolf shoved him aside and wrenched Jackal away.

"What about Jon?" Jackal's eyes shifted towards the weregoyle. "He doesn't even work in security. Why is he going to be there."

"Because he is getting a promotion," Leahs scowled at Jackal. She felt like she shouldn't have to explain everything to him. "His strength and fighting skills may be needed tonight."

"I'll let ye do all the killing," Jon smiled at Hyena.

"You can bring Lorrie. I'll give her a ticket."

"She will enjoy the night," Jon's smile faded after a few seconds. "I'm going ta ask Jason if he could watch the boys." There were a few people he could ask to watch over his cheldren who possesed both the responsibility to watch over a preschooler and infant and a the knowlege of the gargoyle features in both sons.

* * *

The brilliant colors of the sunset painted the sky behind the Leahs Mansion. The light had yet to completely flee, but the glowing lights of the street lanterns along with strings of tiny Christmas lights strung across the edge of the roof, around the widows and laced through the railings of several balconies, glowing like tiny fireflies were on.

Expensive cars pulled into the long, curved drive way while the limousines and even taxicabs paused in font of the mansion to allow their passengers easy access to the sidewalk connecting to the path through the door. Within the half hour the drive way was filled, leaving the others who drove their own cars to park on the curb near the house, or on the grass of the hostess's lawn, or even to find different parking space all together.

Owen Burnet had to angle the limousine he drove Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos around the two parked cars in a parallel position while carefully avoiding the bumper of the car in front of him and the fender of the vehicle behind him.

"Excellent parking, Owen." Xanatos slipped out from the back seat of the Limo, wearing a nearly pressed tuxedo. He left the door open and held out his hand for his wife.

Fox was dressed in a slenderizing white gown with a low cut collar and sleeves ending at the shoulders. She wore satin ballgown style gloves in a matching white hue. Half of her strawberry blond hair was pulled into a perfectly neat bun and held secure with a golden hair pin, shaped a like rose, while the rest of her locks were curled into springing spirals.

"Thank you sir," Owen continued to watch his two bosses as they stepped up to the cement lined path.

"We'll probably call you in three hours," Xanatos kept his hand against his wife's back side, pulling her close. His deep brown eyes never let her lovely face. "You don't have to wear your chauffeur's uniform.

"Understood sir," Owen couldn't keep his smile hidden.

Xanatos slipped his arm from his wives back and accepted her hand in his as the walked along the path treading to the front steps of the mansion. Strains of classical music echoed from the mansion.

"Tickets please," Jackal stood in front of the doorway, dressed in a freshly pressed tuxedo. His gold plated hand was outstretched. His single organic eye blinked at the sight of the latest guests. "Oh, the Xanatos's."

"Hello Jackal," Fox smiled at him as her husband handed her former Co-star their tickets. Her light blue eyes swept over his form and his ensemble. "I have always thought you locked good in a tux."

The corners of the cyborg's mouth turned up slightly. "Enjoy your evening."

"I wonder what that was about," Xanatos raised his sable eyebrows as he and Fox entered they Foyer.

"I was just making peace with an old friend." Fox matched her husband's now mischievous smirk.

David would have inquired further what was on his wife's mind if they were alone. He felt the presence of people near him and turned to face the man and woman facing them.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos," Nolan Glendale greeted. His hair had thinned to a smooth bald head with a few wisps surrounded by a thick wire like fringe. The glass eye in his left socket was the same color of pale green as his right. His right ear, cut away by one of Dracon's gangsters, was replaced by a snap on prosthetic. The rest of his facial damage was corrected by extensive surgery. "Ms Leahs has given her employees minor jobs. I have coat duty." He raised his arms, indicated the few coats draped across his limbs.

"I look after the keys," Glendal's adopted daughter, Gale was in a knee length dress, the same shade of charcoal gray as her father's tuxedo. Black sequins covered the top half of her gown, ending at her waist. Her light brown hair was cut into a neat bob, just a few inches short of brushing her shoulders. She held up the small plastic goldfish bowl filled with keys. "We are prepared to call a cab if anyone has too much. I don't know if you drove or were driven."

"We had Owen drive us," Xanatos nodded at the two of them as he and Fox made there way through the corridor like path connecting the foyer to the left main hallway.

* * *

The hallway was large enough enough to be a ball room with hard polished floors. A stair case on each side of the room extend up to the second floor of the mansion. A small bar was in the center of the room while two long buffet tables, dressed in white table cloth, and topped with several dishes lined both sides of the room. A few musicians were gathered near the back of the room, dressed in tuxedos and playing flutes, clarinets and violins. People gathered in small clusters on the floor and on the open hallways on the second floor. A few couples were dancing to the music while everyone else mingled, speaking of the latest gossip and talked about several topics regarding politics, sports and entertainment.

"I wonder if we will get see Ms Leahs at her latest soirée." David lead Fox throng the clusters of people, recognizing a few faces as they continued their way to the bar. From her last two events David had grown to expect the lady of the mansion to barely show her face. He paused at the sight of CommissionerHolland speaking with Travis Marshall. He was a bit curious at the subject matter of the conversation and wondered if it was about either their children's activities at Pembleton Academy or last year's Autumn Queen Pageant.

"Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos," Margot Yale made her way through the crowd with a pina colada in one hand and her husband's wrist in another. She was dressed in apple green chiffon gown that would have matched her business suit. "Pleasure to see you this evening."

"I believe I share this pleasure," Fox smiled politely. "How is Penelope?"

"Smart as a whip," Yale smiled proudly of her adopted daughter. "She knows her alphabet and numbers and is already beginning to spell and read. She has already started on Cat in the Hat."

"I hope she enjoyed the book better than the movie."

Margot rolled her eyes. "We never saw the movie. I don't want Mike Meyers in that scary make up to shatter one of my more prized childhood memoirs. If she wants to see it on the screen I can always rent the cartoon."

"I made the mistake of renting the movie," Fox placed the tips of her fingers against her eyebrows. "I don't know what gave me the bigger headache the ruining of a classic or the bright colors."

Brandon shrugged in approval of what Fox had said before he glanced up at David Xanatos. "How is business?"

"It's quite good. Pack Media Studios is producing the DVD of Pride Force's first season, Genutech is developing a new kind of natraul chemical similar to the scent of many predator insects such as the mantis and my robotics line is developing robotic pool cleaners."

"Are they like the kind that sweep the floor, or do they float around the surface?" Brendan tilted his glass back draining the last few drops of his drink.

"They will do both. There are two different designs. One is the same round shape as the robotic lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners and the surface ones are shaped like a stingray. How is business with you?"

"Pretty good. The revenue is turning out better than what we hoped. There may be enough for a little extra on everyone's paycheck by the end of the month."

"It will make up for what will happened on April fifteenth." Xanatos's response sent them both laughing.

Brendan recovered first. "I don't know if it's the lighting or the fact there are a lot of warm bodies here, but I could go for a refill on my drink."

"I'm a bit thirsty myself," Xanatos brushed his fingers against Fox's shoulder. "I'm going with Brendan to get us something to drink. Would you like something?"

"I want to start with something light," Fox pulled away from her conversation. She still appeared cool and comfortable in comparison to the dewy face of Margot. "Don't want to start with anything too strong."

"I'll bring you back a Zinfandel spritzer," Xanatos followed Brendan through the crowd, towards the bar.

* * *

Jackal straightened his back at the sight of the bright yellow taxicab as it neared the front drivway. Another group of rich stiffs to collect the tickets from. Everyone had behaved themselves, meaning there was no damge for his sister to cause. Next time Ambrosia askes his help for an extra assignment he will flat out refuse.

He wasn't anticipating the guests stepping out to be two young, beautiful women. He fought to control his tenting pants and turned off his walkie talkie. He was getting sick of Wolf's bitching.

"Hello," the older and taller of the two spoke first. She appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty five and was dressed in a pale, bluish silver gown. Shimmering white hair was pulled into three small buns on the top off her head. Green eyes, glinting like emeralds, were framed by long black lashes. "Is this where we give the tickets?"

"Yes please," Jackal hoped he didn't sound two eager as he held out his palm. The older sister handed him the two tickets, displaying her nails, painted a bright coral shade of orange.

"The party is inside?" The younger sister asked. She was a few inches shorter than her older sister and appeared to have been either in her late teens or early twenties. Her golden yellow gown matched with her sister's silver dress. Her creamy pale complexion contrasted with her black hair, cut into a friendly bob.

"Just ask the Glendale's," Jackal pointed at the door. He didn't remove his gaze from their backsides until they had entered the mansion and closed the door behind them. He wondered who their parents where and more importantly if the older sister had made a video.

* * *

"I'm just thinking about refilling my glass with more soda," Brendan said as he and Xanatos made their way to the island surrounded by a sea of people. "I have to really pace myself considering, my condition."

"Don't want you to accidentally get hairy," Xanatos approached the semicircle shaped bar. The glossy black paneling of the island reflected the surounding people. "A zinfandel spritser."

"I'm right on top of it," the young man behind the bar grabbed a bottle of a club soda and a wine glass. He was dressed in crisp white shirt and black silk vest, but despite his bar tender ensemble his face was extremely recognizable. Pale blond hair was styled with slight curls. His friendly turquoise eyes, matching his grin, was crowned by golden, regal eye brows. His classically perfect nose, the envy of many other young men, matched the nose of the woman who owned the mansion.

"Corbin Leahs?" Xanatos blinked at the recognition of the youngest Leahs brother.

"Your are the fifth person to recognize me tonight," Corbin twisted off the cork of a bottle of white zinfandel and filled the glass half way with the golden, bubbly fluid. He topped it with the clear soda water.

"Are you back with PrometheoTech?"

"I'm still working for Francine's father at One CNI," Corbin's effervescent smile never faded. "Mother just asked if I could bar tend for her tonight. I think she may want to bridge the gap between us. I'm always willing to accept an olive branch that is offered to me."

"Thank you," Xanatos accepted the glass that was slid towards him across the smooth mahagony surface. "I think I'll start off with something soft."

Brendan had waited for him near the bar until he had given his wife her drink and lead the billionaire to the buffet table. Hot dishes were served in large silver trays with small hot plates placed underneath to keep the food warm. The center of the table conatined dishes of cold pasta salad, fresh garden salad, clear plates piled high with finger sandwiches, platters of celery sticks stuffed with a cream cheese like concoction, rings of shrimp cocktails surrounded small bowls filled with bright red marinara sauce, cheese slices on crackers, held to the baked surface by tiny dabs of greenish brown mustard.

Near the end of the buffet contained the desserts. Chocolate cake was sliced thin and topped with a creamy mocha frosting and garnished with orange slices. Cheesecakes with crunchy graham cracker crusts were topped with berry mixes and syrupy preserves or gooey buttery caramel sauce and almonds sliced thin. A golden brown apple pie was covered with shredded cheese, melted just ever so slightly, and a small bowl of fruit salad containing the basic fruit slices of apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, bananas and oranges, but also ruby chuncks of seedless watermelon, fresh raspberries and blueberries, thin slices of kiwi and shredded coconut. The buffet line was flanked on one end by stacks of Dixie plates and napkins and a divided tray counting the plastic silverware, and on the other end with the clear cups and beverages.

"I may come back here in a few minutes," Brendan never transferd his gaze from the food as he removed another clear plastic cup from the stack and handed it to Xanatos. The two silver, heated pitchers were clearly marked for tea and coffee as were the thick rippled coolers equipped with small plastic spigots near the bottom. Using the tongs he placed a couple of fresh cubes into his glass and filled it with the dark liquid form the Pepsi marked container. "I already feel the first symptom of hunger."

"I'll ask Fox when she may be ready for dinner." David stared at the table along with the werewolf, but unlike Brendan's his eyes were more focused on the young woman loading up a paper plate with teriyaki chicken, tortelinni, fried shrimp sticks, sandwiches, celery sticks and some of the tossed salad. It was hard to recognize her in the pale peach dress she was wearing, but the dark red hair and innocent face grabbed his attention as he added ice to his own glass and filled it with Sprite.

* * *

Thick lavender curtains trimmed in Queen Anne's lace clothed the tall double windows leading to the balcony at the end of the hall, making it impossible for any of the guests to see what was lurking outside on the large square balcony and whatever was outside could not lurk in.

Jon Canmore sat at the small white patio chair set up for him that night and placed his elbows, ending in double pointed spurs on the plastic table along with his walk talkie, glass of iced tea and tall glass of beer. He had dressed for the event, even tearing a hole for his tail in a pair of black pinstriped slacks and another hole for his wings in his white dress shirt and black jacket. He thought of wearing a bow tie. The idea lasted only for a few seconds before he pushed it out of his mind. His golden blond hair was set in the same style he wore to the office, slicked back into a neat ponytail and held with an elastic. He would have applied more colonge, but the second he unscrewed the cap he became dizzy from the scent. His eyes watered and he sneezed several times until Lorrie resealed the bottle. Jon did rub on some scented lotion from Ralph Lauren.

He heard the click of the windows before the scent of warm food greeted his nostrils. Lorrie had brought his beer and her iced tea and promised to return with a plate full of food for him.

"I hope this will be enough for now," Lorrie had tore through her closet, removing dresses from the plastic hangers until she found the right one. She couldn't remembered the last item she wore the peach colored gown that shone like satin when the light struck it right. Her burgundy hair was styled with loose waves and pulled up in a style with several loose ends. Her jewelry and make up were both gold colored. Golden droplets hung from her ears and a small locket with a delicate thin chain hung around her neck. Her eyes were dusted with golden brown shadow, a bit of bronze brought a natraul glow to her skin and her nails appeared as if they had been dipped in liquid gold. Only her lips were painted with a crimson gloss. "There is not much more room on the plate."

"That should be more than enough, my love." Jon's dark eyes barely glimpsed at the food before he returned them to his wife's face. The last time he remembered seeing her dressed up like that was for their wedding. He longed for them to both dress up and go out for the evening. If only he wasn't cursed to be a weregoyle.

"I know your lyin," her natraul accent overtook her voice as she set his plate next to his beer. She knew the plate she had assembled would have been enough for him if he were human. He was going to need at least two plates plus a third for dessert to satisfy his gargoyle appetite. "I'll be right back after I get my own plate ready."

"Ye are going to eat wi me?" The supple end of his tail shifted from one side to the other in a graceful involuntary gesture. "Are ye sure ye donae want ta mingle with the rest of the humans?"

"Who wants to be with a bunch of boring stiffs when I could be you?" She brushed her figures across his light green brow ridges until his eyes softened in pure comfort.

"You are not going to believe who just arrived," Jackal's voice came in through the speakers, disturbing the serene moment Lorrie and Jon had. "Reggie Leahs is here with some girl I never seen before, and they had tickets."

"Jon," Lorrie's grip tightened on her husband's wrist, hoping her own touch would keep him from storming into the party. Jon's growling rumbled deep in his chest and came out through his clenched teeth. She held on tighter, feeling her fingers dig in to his flesh. "Don't do anything rash. I'll see what is going on inside."

The glowing faded from Jon's eyes. "Thank ye me love. Sometimes I donae know what I would do wi out ye."

"I'll be back shortly," she leaned up onto her toes and kissed the bottom of his chin before she slipped through the windows, careful to keep the curtains from revealing too much of what went on outside.

* * *

Gregory Leahs was the first to see his troublesome brother clear across the room. His eyes of a natraul aquamarine hue narrowed at the sight of Reggie's hair. The lights struck against his chestnut brown locks and reflected off the gold of his watch. He had no idea who the young woman hanging onto his brother's arm was. She couldn't have been a day over nineteen with her cinnamon hair tied back and dressed in simple blue gown.

"Hold this for me," He handed his berry martini to his wife and stormed through the crowd, carefully avoiding contact with his shoulders and their bodies. If anyone tried to address him their voices would have fallen on deaf ears.

"Hello Greg," Reggie was the first one to greet him. He noticed his brother approaching him at the last second. His brilliant eyes widened with false modesty while his mouth parted to flash his brother a grin full of pearly white teeth. "How are things, big brother?"

Gregory didn't respond at first with his voice. His hands clenched onto the crisp collar of his brother's tuxedo. "You have a bunch of gall showing your face around here. How the hell did you get past Jackal?"

"I have tickets," he stared to his side where Seneca once stood. His young employee had already wandered off. Perhaps she has found someone from the medical field to converse with. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a used envelope. "As you can see here I was invited."

"What is this?" Greg snatched the paper slip out of his brother's hand and smoothed the edge out, making it easier to read. "It's addressed to the president of Procoen."

"You are looking at the CEO of Procoen," Reggie's grin faded as he removed himself from Gregory's vice like grip. "What job did mom give you?"

"You bastard," Gregory handed the envelope back to his brother. "When mom see's you she is going to blow a blood vessel."

"Will she?" Reggie chuckled as he scanned around the room, trying to seek out the whereabouts of the host. "Where is she?"

"Last time I saw her she was with Wolf. The Pack is here, including Jon."

"Still has the habit of only making cameos at her own events." his gaze searched throughout the hall. The only familiar face he had recognized was the young man behind the bar, filling out drink orders to the small crowd that had gathered around him. "Is that Corbin?"

"Unlike some people, Mom had admitted she was wrong," Greg sighed. "She is already trying to patch things up with Corbin. Perhaps if you learn to apologize she may want to catch up with you."

"That means Corbin is back on the will?"

"Is that all you think about?" Gregory asked, trying to fathom the answer within his brother's eyes. All he could detect was the glint of something that made him want to take a shower. "No it isn't. It's either sex, money or power with you. I hope that girl you brought is of age. She looks a little young."

"Seneca is nineteen," Reggae's gaze trailed around the room seeking his companion and came to a stop at the vision of the young woman speaking with a couple of men older than him. "I am not dating her. She works for me on the weekends. The money pays her way through medical school."

"She looks a little young to be in medical school."

"She's Sevarius's daughter," Reggie tapped the side of her head. "She's a genius, but she isn't my type."

"Not your type?" His eyes fixed onto his brother's hands, still naked of any wedding band. "Obviously you still haven't met the right one."

Reginald shrugged. "Perhaps I shall find the right woman tonight." He spread out his arms, to overtake the surrounding crowd.

* * *

The discussion between the bickering brothers caught the attention of a few passerby's, but their focus had waned only after a few seconds and they continued on their way to another part of the celebration.

Only one person seemed to be interested in everything the Leahs brothers had to say. The gargoyle Sidhe stood between the bar and the brothers with a half filled glass in hand. The strange concoction the human had created for her was called a Brandy Alexander. She had to restrain herself to only sip the sweet drink and not guzzle it down. There were a few things in the world the humans have perfected in the centuries that had passed. Food and drinks were a few of them.

'So both bothers have been separated over a common misunderstanding?" Gara thought as she brought the rim of the glass back to her lips and slowly drank. Humans tend to squabble over such petty things, perhaps if she evolved them they would put aside their differences. She hoped she would at least replace half the room with gargoyles.

She also needed to find someone who could sing and someone who could possibly be a mate. Someone who understanding of true beauty is reflected in both their golden voices and sweet and filling blood. Her mother preferred the lifeblood of poets who also could see things n the world other mortals could not, but their blood was a bit too flowery for and not as filling.

Perhaps she didn't have too far to look for a mate. Both brothers were as attractive as the young mortal who fixed her drink. She would have considered the bartender as a possibility if it wasn't the ring on his hand, binding him to another woman's heart. She couldn't see if the other two had any rings, but by their conversation she was almost certain the brunet was single. She imagined what he would be like with her after she had replaced his human form. His wings cloaked around her back while their tails are intertwined. He would look deeply into her eyes before he ran his talons through her hair.

"Sis?" Gwenny gently tapped on her older sister's shoulders with her nails, disguised in a pale beige color of polish. "There are three men near the musicians. Each one of them tried to show off their vocal chords. Two of them were okay, but the third had a voice that was divine."

"A singer," Gara whispered. She had to listen to his voice or sample a bit of his blood to be sure. It had been days since she had tasted blood that was just right. Her tongue brushed over her lips, removing the last traces of her drink while her mouth watered. "Where are the servants?"

"In the trees," The Gwenwyna Sidhe pointed at the second floor with her thumb. It was the closet she could point to without having to walk to the nearest window.

"Tell them it is time," she drained the remains of her glass with a single gulp and handed it to her sister as she marched straight towards her destined meal.

* * *

Double duty as a security guard for a party full of rich snooty people was not on the high end on Hyena's list of weekend activities, especially when they are not being paid. She glanced at her arm, made stronger a few months ago and equipped with the same charge of electricity as the hammers of the quarrymen. If the extra assignment made up for the cost of her upgrade then it was well worth it.

It would have been more worth it if something would happen during the event. She wished someone, anyone, would just start some form of trouble and give her an excuse to throw them out the window. Unfortunately everyone was behaving that night and no interlopers. Jackal had confirmed over the radio Reggie and his date were both legit. The female cyborge kept her rich brown eyes on the two older brothers, her finger resting against her metal plated chin, hoping Reggie would cause trouble. She even begged the powers that be he would have been packing heat so she would have an excuse to kill him.

"Hyena', Candyass. Are you there?" Wolf's crude voice came from Hyena's hip, where she had clipped her Walkie Talkie to the metallic belt around the middle of her waist, underneath her clothes. "I got something lurking in the trees."

Hyena quickly removed her plastic communicator and pressed the communication button. "Are they human, gargoyle, mutate or something else?"

"I think they are gargoyles. I see wings and tails. I don't know what they are doing here, but they sure didn't come to fuck in the trees."

Hyena quickly shut the small device off, silencing any further discussion the mutate might have offered. She didn't want to hear how Wolf new what their possible party crashers were doing, or were not doing.

"Finally I get to have some fun," her words cam out low as she ran off, despite knowing that nobody cared what a security guard was saying, except for Lorrie, but the red-haired young woman was busy carrying a food towards the other end of the hallway.

* * *

The silver-furred mutate had long removed the jacket of his security guard before he even heard Jackal's warning of Reggie, or had spied the winged activity in the trees. The combined layers of his fur and thick material of his dark gray uniform had trapped in the slowly rising March heat, tightening his skin and oozing out sweat till his fur was saturated. He was thankful he still had his sweat glands after he had been mutated, or else he would have passed out from heat exhaustion.

The movement from the nearby trees caught his focus. He wasn't sure if it was a night time breeze gusting through, shaking the branches rustling the leaves, but the few gusts of wind that did blow through were all calm and weak and couldn't cause the movement. He stared intently at the branches, ignoring Jackal's warning about Reggie, trying to find out what was causing the branches to move. Between the cracks he could make out dark greenish gray that was a few shades darker than the surrounding leaves. He made out the surrounding area of a wing and the limp, arrow shaped tip of a tail.

Wolf didn't wait for Hyena to catch up to him. At the sound of the windows opening up he had spread his furry wings, allowing the breeze to lift him off the balcony and carry him towards the trees.

"Wolf!" Hyena didn't care if the windows were locked behind her or not. Wolf in his greed to fight the gargoyles by himself , did not wait for her to join him. She quickly unbuttoned her jacket and threw it to the ground followed by her pants. The rockets on her back ignited, carrying her form off the balcony floor. "Wait for me you son of a bitch!"

The low sepulchral grunts and snarls came from the rustling trees before the furry mutate body expelled to the ground. His thick arms were struggling with not one gargoyle but two.

"Bit off more than you can chew? That will teach you to leave without me." She fought to rein in her laugh, unexpressed emotion bubbling at the top of her throat. She could not afford to gloat. There was a strong possibility there was a third gargoyle waiting in the trees for her. One or two others she expected to be lurking in the tree branches along with the two Wolf fought ,but not five. Hyena could not believe Goliath had sent out half the clan. As she neared the quintet she could clearly see they were not any gargoyle she had seen before. Did that clan grow even more? There was something unsettling about them. Usually when she and the rest of the pack came face to face with a fraction of the clan they were all different colored. Sometimes a one or two of them were similarly colored, but there were never five of the same color. The five gargoyles only differed in a few slight differences. There were a couple of females and their hair were set in different styles and colors. All of there skin was a greenish gray shade, mottled with darker splotches of gray. They had the same shape and structure of wings and all their tails ended in arrow shaped points.

There was something else about them that bothered the former television star. Their bodies seemed frail, drab skin appeared to have been stretched across their bones, reminding her of photos of famine victims from third world countries. The faces remained expressionless, even after they left their perches. Their eyes did not fill with glowing light but were opaque, washed over with a thick silver glaze. They didn't even look like they were alive.

"They are dead," Hyena felt her voice become hoarse as she uttered words she couldn't believe had sprung to her mind. She had no way of knowing if Wolf had taken his communicator or not and even if he did it would have been no use to her. She was glad she had brought a secondary belt along with her and kept her walkie talkie clipped to it. "Guys, we have a major-" the plastic device was whisked out of her hands before she could complete her call.

"That makes up for my ear," Brooklyn lowered his crimson body just enough for him to grab her walkie talkie without her notice. He squeezed his hand, crushing the plastic and wires, silencing the crackling static.

"You idiot!" Hyena shot up into the beaked gargoyle's chest. Her left hand grabbed a hunk of his flesh, pressing hard and deep enough to cause bruises. Her right hand tightened into a fist while the electricity of a quarry hammer churned on, highlighting her appendage in a brilliant blue glow. "I was calling in back up for night of the living gargoyle behind us."

Brooklyn did not understand what she was talking about. He could not take the time to ask what she meant. She was the least balanced of the pack, more willing to cut his throat than to answer his questions. He retaliated the only way he could with her. He swung his hand down onto her face, striking her with the broken speaker with enough force for the crushed plastic to slip from his talons and for her to release him.

Hyena's hands covered her nose as it filled with warm fluid. The force of the broken plastic had broken the bridge. Her fingers curled back to the point the tips toched the back of hand. "How many times are you going to attack us," she sent out a blast of electricity at the second in command, cursing when he glided away, the side of his wing was the only part singed. "When we are," the braced as the gargoyle slammed into her. The long blade on her foot extended to it's full lenth as she brought the edge agaisnt his ankle. "Working secuity?" Her hammer fist swung out and struck the beaked gargoyle in the chest.

* * *

Brooklyn slipped back after the impact her her fist gaisnt his chest. He did not hear any cracking but the strike was enough to knock the wind out of him. He did not take time to glance at his skin to see the welts, a brighter shade of red than the rest of his skin, developing. He had to remain focused on Hyena. Even if she was on patrol duty she would have forgotten by now to satisfy her bloodlust. He was going to have to overwhelm her before he could leave.

He stared up at the rest of his patrol team. Both Frank and Meructio had landed on the almost endless roof and Angela was heaing for the group of strange gargoyles. He was not fully distracted and was ready to grab Hyena by the wrists when she tried her counter assault.

Angela's original motive was to continue towards the trees where Wolf had flown but the sight of the five gargoyle made her pause in the air. None of them were after Hyena, but instead were approaching the balcony. She had no idea who they were, but all of them seemed to have been related: same coloration, bat shaped wings, and single upright spike on the top of their curved brow ridges. She did not like the look of their malnourished forms, or their lack of any emotion on their faces. Angela glided closer to them, hoping to speak with them. The sight of their eyes, filled with liquid mercury instead of white and black was enough to tell her what she was dealing with.

"Mercutio!" She cried out as she struck the jaw of the nearest gargoyle with her fist. She expected to hear bones snap the mere second her knuckles came in contact with it's dry flesh. She did not expect them it to feel so soft underneath the dry surface or the sicken plop sound to echo from where she struck it. "Get Frank. We have zombies." She cried out as she felt ice cold talons grip her shoulders.The one she struck had reached out for her with one hand while the other belt her in the stomach. She grabbed on to her assilaint as she doubled over and felt both of them plummet to the ground. Her wings were only halfway closed, providing enough of a parachute to prevent them from completely crashing into the ground.

* * *

Lorrie returned to the hallway balcony, carefully balancing her plate while she turned the latch. She glanced back over her shoulder at the small groups of people conversing with each other. No one was paying any attention to her. No one would see Jon on the other side.

"I found out about Reggie," Lorrie quickly closed the windows behind her before she approached her husband. "The scumbag has started a business of his own upstate. Ms Leahs got word of his company and since his business is new she invited him."

"Now we know how he was invited," Jon took the plate from her hands. His wife had selected a considerable amount of food for her plate. One half held an exquisite dinner ensemble of mussels she placed onto a bed of angel hair pasta in butter sauce, and steamed string beans. The other was a snack platter contained a couples of sandwiches, a few cheese and crackers and a handful of olives. She normally did not eat that much and he was certain she used her plate to load up on some more food for him. "Just have ta make sure he doesna try anything."

"I'm not too worried about him," Lorrie glanced back at the double windows, knowing it was pointless to try to see anything beyond the curtains. "I'm more concerned about why Hyena ran down the end of the hall like that." As she was heading up the stairs she noted the female cyborge racing through the crowd do the balcony on the other side of where Jon was stationed.

"Wolf had seen something," Jon explained as he set the plate next to her drink. The table with their plates and beverages looked more like it was from a sidewalk cafe. Jon had placed the plastic utensils and napkins in a neat table setting. "He said he as something in the trees. He wasn't sure if they were gargoyles or not." He pulled out the chair in front of her place setting.

"You think they may try to crash the party?" Lorrie slowly sat down. She had been standing nearly the entire time since she had donned the gown, only sitting during the cab ride over.

"Perhaps those other things, but not us." A winged form landed a few inches away from them. His green skin was a darker hue than Jon's, contrasting slightly with the bright yellow lining of his large grayish green wings, tipped with a single claw. His light brown hair, may have been combed into place but a few strands were loose. Sharp spikes lined the ridges over his eyes. His nose seemed small in comparison to his beak, a few inches shorter than the gargoyle's second in command but just as wide. "I'm Frank Kowalsky. The other's thought I should be the one to speak with you."

"Ye hell spawned beast!" Jon's eyes were overtaken by a alabaster radiance's. His wings unfolded from his back as he charged forward.

"Jon, don't do it." To hell with her dress. Lorrie leaped out of her seat, sending the plastic chair to skitter across the hard surface until it came in contact with the balcony railing. She positioned herself between the two gargoyles. "He might be like you."

"I am," Frank lowered his ands from his defensive position. "I'm a weregoyle who is mated to a human woman. We even have a child who is one quarter gargoyle."

"You have more in common than you had previously thought," Lorrie smiled. The red head lowered her arms once she felt the tenseness leave her husband's body.

"Ye are not here to discuss parenting tips, are ye?" Jon allowed the light to fade form his eyes. He wasn't sure what business the other weregoyle had with him. He did mention something about others. "Are there other weregoyles wi ye, or are they gargoyles?"

"They are gargoyles," Frank answered in a weak voice, hoping Jon would not fly into another rage and demand to know their whereabouts. Seeing the way the Scottish weregoyle was dressed he felt naked wearing just a pair of khaki shorts. He tried to convince Brooklyn to allow him to wear something a bit more modest and bit more fancy for where they were going to patrol. "My patrol group overheard of this event through the Xanatos's. Goliath calculated the factor of Murphy's law and sent us here to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"I am protecting the mansion," Jon tried not to sound too annoyed. Frank had told him there were actual gargoyles around and he wanted to keep his senses attuned for where they might be located. "The Pack and I are on security."

"Well there is a reason why I wanted to speak wirh yout specifically," Frank stepped closer to the railing. His eyes never left Lorrie or Jon. "You two are the most logical and most sane members of the pack."

"You are correct abut that," Lorrie nodded knowing Wolf and the twins would have attacked Frank at first sight and waited to ask questions later. "Even though I'm not really part of the pack."

"We are trying to get warnings out to everyone. We have contacted our friends and Goliath feels he should let you know about the gathering of the Unseelie."

"Dark Faeries?" Jon blinked in the recognition of the official name of the malevolent side of the third race.

"I thought they had already gathered," Lorrie spoke, thinking of the pure blooded fairies and their kind. Her great grandmother had explained her heritage in great detail, and even included the gathering on Avalon.

"They are not related to yer great grandmother," Jon said. "They are the darker fairies who intend to cause pain. They are the malevolent tricksters, the goblins, orcs and trolls."

"And they are gathering together somewhere," Frank added. "We don't know how many the have all together. What we do know is that five of them were real powerful and had to be sealed.. They got free thanks to a traitor from Avalon."

"You want us to stay on our toes?" Lorrie realized. Her hand tightened around her husband's grip. She was unaware her fingers had searched for his talons.

"Frank!" A voice that was somewhat familiar to Jon's ears called up from the top of the roof. A scarlet gargoyle was staring down at them. Mercutio's face, usually painted with a large goofy grin, was frozen in a state of terror. His mouth was a serious frown and his eyes were wide with fear. He turned halfway around on the roomy and pointed towards the opposite side. "We have zombies."

* * *

The human with the golden throat held Gara's form close to him as they waltzed across the smooth dance floor. He was light on his feet, dancing with an amount of grace that was the equivalent to his beautiful singing voice.

"You dance as divinely as you sing," Gara complimented while fanning herself with her hand. When she emulated a human female she did not overlook any detail. A few wisps of her pearly white hair came undone from her rolls and stuck against her face. She made her body sweat, not profusely, but just enough to be considered glowing.

"You have displayed a bit of fancy foot-work yourself, my dear," Gara's consort held the fingertips of her hand in the middle of his palm. He wasn't too bad looking, but he was too old for her taste. His hair was speckled with gray, circles were clearly displayed under his eyes. His was too thin for her, even with the suit on she could tell he did not display the muscle tone the two quarreling brothers had. "You look quite wilted, a fate like that shouldn't have befallen upon a delicate flower as yourself."

She smiled politely. The man was multi talented. He could sing, dance, and speak so eloquently. It almost would be shame to silence him forever. He may only be using a honey tongue to get a date out of her, or possibly even more. He might also be a poet. She was going to have to drink him before her mother decided to use him for a meal.

"Would you care for a drink from the bar?" He gestured to the small island with a graceful gesture of his hand. "Or maybe a soft drink or a cup of coffee or tea from the buffet table?"

"I'll show you what I want," she leader him past the buffet table and towards the stares. Her consort had an expression of conferment on his face, but he did not pause to protest. She pulled him with her behind the stairs.

The singer smiled at the darkness that shielded them from the rest of the guests. "I think I may know what your intent is, but we barely know each other."

"I just want to give you a small kiss," her eyelids lowered. "Just to thank you for dancing with me."

"You did ask," he stood still while his mouth puckered. His eyes closed, allowing himself to become completely vulernable.

It was almost too easy for her. Her hands held on fast to his shoulders as she leaned in on his neck. Her soft, full lips brushed against his skin in an affectionate kiss, lasting for a few seconds when her fangs cut through his skin and opened a jugular.

* * *

The original plan was for Gwenny to either stand on the end of the balcony and whistle towards the servants to approach the mansion, or for her to assume her preferred form and fly out to the group and bring them to the tall double windows. She was not anticipating the living dead gargoyles to be already on the balcony, waiting for her.

"Where are the others?" She parted the windows a crack to speak with them. Not too distant growls and the burning electric sound of a stun gun revealed to her the whereabouts of the other three. "We have to work quickly. I'm going to take out everyone up here and then I will signal for you. On my command block the entrances down stairs."

Gwennyfelt her nails change shape, shattering through their guise of a perfect manicure. They lengthened and turned black. She stared back at the windows as she approached the nearest couple. The thick curtains blocked the view of anyone who decided to look at the end of the upper hall. She tapped her nails against the shoulders of the guests, nails deftly pierced through the clothing and the flesh. She moved across the hall leaving a wake of people slowly paralyzing.

The tall windows slammed open as a servant was tackled into the mansion. Both he and the emerald green gargoyle landed a few inches from Gwenny's first victims. The dead creature struggled to push the beaked gargoyle off his body. One of the gargoyle's arms slipped free from the servant's grasp and struck the dead creature in the face with his balled up fist.

"Great," Gwenny's adult human form melted away at the sound of the first scream. Grown up curves and slim limbs were replaced by a child's innocent frail form. Her eyes widened and lightened to the color of blood. Her skin paled to the color of scraped bone while her gown rearranged itself back to her usual yellow dress. "Show is over folks."

She had levitated several feet, just in time to avoid being plowed by another servant and his pursuer. The second gargoyle was a lighter shade of green than the first. A curved frill, tipped with sharp ivory spikes kept his long, blond hair out of his face. Where the first gargoyle was hardly dressed in his pair of shorts the second was dressed in a expensive black suit, fitting in with the rest of the mansion's attendants.

The second gargoyle roared, a cry loud enough to rattle the nearby chandeliers and elicit more screams from the humans already affected by Gwenny's claws. Unable to move they could only express their fear in their screams. The light green gargoyle leaped forward, pouncing the zombifed gargoyle and landing to close to the edge of the railing in the upper right hall.

* * *

The discussion of the works of Lewis, Tolkien, and Lovecraft came to an abrupt end when the first scream penetrated the ears of the guests on the first floor. "Leave it to Murphy to ruin things," Xanatos quipped. His fingers tightened along the stem of his wine glass while he searched for Fox and Margot. Both his and Brendan's wife were doing their best to calm everyone down. "We need to keep a few cool heads."

"Have to find out what we are up against." Brendan felt the wolf within itching to come out, but he remained strong. He did not want to frighten the guests further.

"Monsters!" A small group of people raced down the stairs of the upper left hall. Their cries stirred up the panic level of several more guests as they raced towards one of several of the entrances. "Gargoyles and a demon child!"

"Well that answers our first question," Xanatos frowned. It was going to be difficult to explain to the crowd how the gargoyles were not the threat. He wasn't sure about the demon child they were referring too.

A small chunk of wooden railing fell into Xanatos's wine glass spilling out half the liquid seconds before a large piece fell onto the tiles and splintering into several pieces along with two struggling gargoyles. The lime hued gargoyle pinned the thinner, drab colored creature underneath.

"Ye winged corpse," Canmore snarled as he slammed his head against the skull off the zombie. The rubbery head of the cadaver didn't bounce back or dent and the zombie showed no sign of slowing down from either fatigue or pain. Jon slammed his fist underneath the zombie's chin and thrusted his elbow down on it's chest, feelingly the sickening sensation of his spurs easily cutting through and become bogged down deep into soft flesh. The other gargoyle grabbed onto his arms, boney fingers slicing through the sleaves and cutting it into ribbons.

"Canmore has to complicate things," Xanatos thrust his glass into Brendan's hands, ready to storm over to the other' gargoyles side, or nearly strode forth. A firm grip on his shoulders held him back.

"I don't think it's an ordinary gargoyle," Brendan's eyes shifted from brown to gold. "They are the color of decaying flesh. Look how thin it is and how it doesn't seem to be suffering from Canmore's attack, and you can't tell, but it smells dead."

Two more thin gargoyles, both the same decaying color as the one Canmore battled with glided down from the upper story, their paper like wings kept their frail forms over head. Both of their heads propped up at the sound of more roaring and they glided off in opposite directions before a scarlet gargoyle with wings stretched across his limbs glided after one.

"That confirms it," Xanatos watched as Mercutio closed in one of corpse like gargoyles. He wondered where the whereabouts of the other gargoyles who came to watch over them and figured there were probably more of the reanimated corpses. "Let's try to get everyone out. If anything is blocking the door I'm sure you will be able to take care of them."

"Nobody is going anywhere!" A nine year old girl floated a few feet down, but kept herself levitated several feet off the ground. She reminded Xanatos of a child like version of Hallie, if Hallie had ever donned a yellow dress or had bat like wings growing out of the top of her head. She flew past the crowd of people nearing the corridor leading towards the front entrance. She aimed straight for the handful of people racing ahead of the crowd. Her hand held out, fired off three of her nails, the sharp points met their mark, The fleeing guest stumbled as their legs became numb instantly.

"Now I think is a good time for you to attack." Xanatos didn't even have to finish he sentence. Wellington was already ripping through his clothes, his body was covering itself with a thick pelt of brown fur.

The middle child of the Leahs brothers knew the party was over the instant the screams cut through, but he didn't move. Reggie was sure the commotion would rouse his mother form where she was hiding. His small spark of self assured joy was short lived. The two gargoyles crashing to floor was the tell tale sign the people would beracing out in panic. He felt fingers of ice tracing down his spine when he noticed one of the gargoyles was Canmore.

"Seneca," he hissed the name of his companion while walking through the crowd. His eyes were open for the sight of a teenager with reddish-brown hair. The other people made it difficult to walk through, several of them were trying to shove him forward towards the front entrance. He hunched up his shoulders and forced his way through.

"What is going on," the very person Reggie was seeking was on the other half of ther room, pushing through clusters of people trying to escape through the oppsite ends. A few people tried to test their luck with some of the rooms, only finding them locked.

"Don't wait for me," Reggie caught up with her and took her hand into his. "It's time we make our exit." He did not pause in his tracks, even with one of the zombified gargoyles glided ahead of the crowd. If that creature blocked the doors he was going to find some way to removed him.

* * *

This was not how things were going to go. The Gargoyle Sidhe's original plans were to slip in, feed on any potential singers, call in the servants and have them block off any route of escape, have Gwenwyna paralyze anyone who would fight back and evolve everyone. She did not factor in the possibility there were gargoyles in the city, let alone near the mansion, nor that one of the guests was an actual werewolf.

"If only the gargoyles knew I was trying to help them," she wiped the remaining droplets of blood on the back of her hand and reached down to pierce the drained singer's chest. She will at least be able to gain one servant that night.

The jarring grinding sound of machinery carved through the air. The halfling stepped out from behind the stair case in time to see one of her servants flying back.

"The only thing worse than a gargoyle is a gargoyle that won't stay dead," the crowd parted to allow the man who took the tickets to walk through. Clothing gone Gara could see the golden metal plating covering most of his body. One arm was stretched out, displaying the spinning metal disc, the source of the noise. The other arm was held out in front of him, small flames highlighted the metal tip at the end of his arm. Grease colored smoke swirled around the flames and floated high above the surface.

The sidhe glanced around for her sister and the other servant. The roar from the rear of the hall ensared her attention. Her servant were mute. The roar had to come form the other gargoyle. She had only a fleeting glimpse of the small gargoyle, but even if he was smaller than the others he would still be a match for her servant.

"Bad doggy!" Gwenny flew around the room, keeping at the level of the second floor. The werewolf had chosen her as his target. She would try to lower her self, to get a better aim at the fomer human and launch one of her poison tipped nails at him, but the beast kept dodging them, leaping over the black shrapnel and trying to swipe at her with his paws.

Gara had to think fast. Three of her servants were being attacked by gargoyles, her sister was being chased by a werewolf and a fourth servant was battling a creature that was part human and part machine. She couldn't evolve him, and she was pretty sure there was iron mixed into his metal.That left her with little choice. She ran ahead screaming in terror, her voice mixed in along with the others who were trying to escape. There was only one way out of the disaster. She grabbed one of the humans in the back of the crowd trying to coax the others to calm down so they could quickly walk out of the room.

"Do whatever I tell you," She hissed into the ear of the blond woman dressed in green. Her hand tightened on the woman's arm and she brought her finger nail against her neck. Her body had reverted to it's true form with in a few seconds.

Margot stared at the pale green hand against her throat and felt the grip on her tighten. She forced her legs to walk backwards along with her captor, and only paused when whoever or whatever was holding her roared.

"Listen up, humans," Gara hissed once she had the attention of everyone. Even the werewolf had stopped in it's tracks to stare at her. It's snout wrinkled up, unveiling his long white fangs. She knew an attacking creature when she saw one. "Don't come near us werewolf, unless you want me to pierce her weak flesh with one of my claws. I know of your filthy kind. Just like the gargoyles you are protectors of an ingrateful race." The werewolf retreated back a few steps, but it did not stop growling. "Like my sister you have been chasing, my nails contain a strong toxin. My poison is different however. One scratch and there will be one less human in the world."

"What are your demands?" Ambrosia Leahs had finally made her presence known to everyone with her familiar irritated clip. A few of her guests may have noticed her trying to gently coax everyone out, but it wasn't until her cold voice was the only one heard that everyone knew she was in the room. Even with a minor hostage situation she appeared undaunted. She stood tall and firm with her arms folded across her chest. The look she gave they hybrid was the frigid glare she reserved for people she was about to fire.

"I want my servants, my sister and I to go freely. I also want one of my servants to take the corpse form under the staircase with us."

"Granted," Leahs cast an icey stare towards Jackal. A clear signal for him to not to try anything.

Gwenny floated towards the zombie who was still on the second floor. "Get the body under the stairs and follow me." She never removed her gaze from the beaked gargoyle who just stared at her. The small fae floated down as the rest of the servants were walking past the frightened humans, not a single guest dared to make a sound.

"When you get out there I want you to find the others and take to the air," The Gargoyle Sidhe ordered as her sister exited past her. "Use your powers to levitate them until the could glide."

"I'm on top of it," Gwenny nodded before she slipped into the corridor.

"Anyone so much as moves I'll scratch her," the Gargoyle Sidhe hissed as she back stepped through the crowd, taking Margot with her. Her footsteps picked up in speed as she backed away down the corridor, nearly dragging the human with her.

"Ms Yale," Nolan Glendale's good eye blinked out in fear for the human hostage when both she and her captive stepped into the foyer. He was tucked into a corner, holding his daughter close to him. The container of keys was lying on the carpet.

"Don't move until I release her," Gara hissed as she stepped out of the mansion and onto the cement path. "This evening won't be a total wash out." She whispered into the D.A's ear. "Don't worry. It will only hurt for three hours." Her claw pierced the skin of Margot's neck and ran down a few centimeters before she turned around and bounded off on all fours. She did not need to find a place to climb so she could glide. Similar to her sister she could make her self levitate.

* * *

Angela did not know how long she kept the zombified gargoyle down on it's back. She helt on to its limbs tight,wondering if the limbs would break from under her. She could feel its bones through it's flesh.

Without any indication of what it may have thought of the end of the zombie's tail wrapped around the thigh of the lavender gargoyle and pulled her down. The female tried to resist but the zombie rolled out from under her and stuck her face with it's boney hand.

"Sorry to cut your playtime short," a child like voice spoke from the sky. With one wave of her hand the poison sidhe levitated the zombifed gargoyle until it was high enough for its dired out wings to take hold of the air currents.

"Who are you?" Angela returned to her feet, her eyes never left sight of her quarry and it's rescuer. "Are you the one who killed him?"

"That's my sisters work," the small floating girl brushed the bottom of her skirt. One of the small wings on the top of her head bent at an angle and pointed to the sky as if it was flipping her off before she floated to the small group of zombified gargoyles. One of them appeared as if it was holding the dead body.

"What are they?" Brooklyn no longer worried if Hyena would attack him. He approached Angela's side, his eyes never left the sight in the sky.

"I'll leave you winged freaks to figure it out," Hyena readjusted the broken walkie talkie to her belt clip. She was going to need it as evidense to convince Ambrosia to ggive her a new one. "Wolf!"

"What?" the muffled sound came from the clump of trees where the mutate had fought against the two zombified gargoyles he had tackled.

"Get your butt in gear, the corpses are leaving the mansion. Lets see how much damage my brother caused while trying to mop up the floor with them."

* * *

"We need a doctor!" Nolan Glendale slipped through the corridor, trying to avoid the people trying to hurry out. Margot Yale leaned against him as he dragged her. The poisonous scratch had left her throat and upper chest filled with a numb, burning sensation. It was becoming incredibly difficult for her to breath.

"Margot!" Brendan tore through the few remaining guests. The remains of his suit hung in tatters over his human form. He took his wife from Glendale arms and held her close. "She did get you. I'm sorry."

"Three hours," she choked out and immediately struggled to breath. Her whole chest was numb. It felt like she was congested. "Not your...fault."

Brandon ran his fingers through her curls. "She's dying! Somebody help her." He glared at the others remaining in the room with him: Ambrosia Leahs, her son's Gregory and Corbin, Gregory's wife, the Xanatos's, the three gargoyles, Jackal and a young woman with red hair racing down the stairs, Canmore's wife.

"Allow me," Corbin approached the gasping woman. He felt his healing abilities surging through his veins and concentrating on his hands. He positioned his palm on top of her clavicle and imagined his power surging through his hands and into her skin, removing the poison from her system.

Margot shook her head. The pain was gone, but she still felt numb and still struggled to breath.

"It's not working," Brendan snapped at the young man. They wasted minutes off the few precious hours Margot had left.

"I can't heal against diseases and toxins caused by sorcery," Corbin clenched his fists and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You tried," Xanatos told him. " We need to take her to a sorceress, or someone who knows how to cure her" He stood back up and turned to Frank and Mercutio. "find the others and bring Ms Yale to the castle. Brendan, you are welcome to ride with us."

* * *

Margot's whole body had become filled with the burning numb feeling by the time the clan had arrived with her at the castle. She couldn't feel the gargoyle, known as Brooklyn's arms as he carried her through the stone hallways towards the Wyvern emergency room. She felt the sensation of being lowered onto something but she could not feel what she was placed upon. She didn't know if she was on a metal examination table, a gurney, or an actual hospital bed.

Owen Burnett had been roused from a comfortable chair in the nursery, next to his son's crib as he read to him. He would have done an unOwen like mannerism and asked Mercutio to take care of whatever problem there was himself, but the mention of a magical emergency had him on his feet in less than a few seconds.

"It looks like a strong toxin," Owen stared at the writhing form of Margot, the pain had gripped onto her entire body. He gently touched her next to where the sidhe had struck her. "This is the point of entry."

"That was where the gargoyle creature had scratched her," Mercutio answered.

"Gargoyle creature?" Owen didn't turn away from the suffering woman.

"She was beautiful with pale green skin and shimmering white hair down to the backs of her knees. She had a few creatures with her. There were a few gargoyles that looked dead and a small fae. She looked like a child with pale skin and wings on her head."

"The smaller one is theGwenhyna Sidhe," Owen nodded in recognition off the fae's description. "If she was working with the other gargoyle that would mean the one who did this was-"

"The Gargoyle Sidhe," a strong female with cerulean skin entered the room, her body clothed in a few scraps of grayish white material. A golden tiara fit across her forehead, the same shape as her browridge, both keeping her wild crimson and black hair, back from falling over in her eyes.

"You know of the Gargoyle Sidhe?" Owen asked.

"We have met a few times," Demona nodded. She stared at Margot, noticing the poisoned woman's skin was a bit more deeper shade of pink than usual. "And I know there is not much we can do for her."

"She's going to die?" Angela entered the emergency room behind her mother. She had searched the castle for the immortal the second they had returned.

"Ms Yale isn't dying," Owen wasn't sure if they should explain what was happening to Margot in front of hr, but she was going to eventually find out sooner or later.

"That Sidhe thing said if she clawed Margot there would be one less human," Frank wasn't sure if the Sidhe was bluffing. Perhaps it was only a painful experience that lasted for three hours.

"She was right. Her poison causes a metamorphosis in whoever she scratches," Owen turned toward Margot. Her wide eyes indicated she was listening. "She's turning into a gargoyle."

"What?" Brooklyn was the first one to regain control of his tounge. "She's going to be living with us?"

"I believe that will have to fly over with Goliath and if she and her family wants to live here," Demona paced across the room. "Of all the misguided members of that accursed race. We both thought humans were the problem, but her solution was to turn them all into gargoyles."

"How many has she changed in the past?" Brooklyn asked, trying to not appear rude and watch Margot as she changes.

"Enough to replace the London clan," Demona leaned against the wall. "The English destroyed all their gargoyles when I was turned immortal. A few centuries later the Gargoyle Sidhe created a new one. I thought she and her sister were sealed in a hill."

"She escaped when the Loki and the others were released from their prisons," Owen told her. His eyes never left Yale's side as her skin darkened to a deeper shade of pink.

"Can't we do anything for her?" Angela tried to hold on to Margot's hand. "She's in so much pain."

"We can see if we can give her some sedatives," Owen answered. "And it would be best to get her out of that dress. We'll let her husband perform that chore when we inform him."

* * *

Epilogue

The night was a pure disapointment. They had lost one of the servants. The enemies on the outside fought with three of the servants had managed to removed the head from one. The Gargoyle Sidhe had the perfect human to be turned into her mate, but he had disapeard when the fighting broke out, and she did not get to evolve an entire room of gargoyles.

"Why do they not understand?" She leaned back in her vinyl lounge chair with her wings cloaked across her chest. Most of her haie poured out over the back of the seat and hung dangerously close to the floor. She should have explained to the gargoyles how she was trying to help them.

"Sister?" Gwenny approached her chair, walking instead of flying. Both of her arms wer held behind her back. "Why are you so sad? You got to evolve somebody and we found a singer."

"I should be thankful for something," she sighed.

"I found something to cheer you up." She held out her hands. One of them was holding onto a flower and the other contained a trampled envelope. "I found it on the floor of the party room."

The older sidhe smiled at the small gifts he sister offered. Her grin grew wider when she saw the address in the middle of the envelope. "Procoen. Both brothers were talking about this place." She sat up and studied the address. "He is there."

"Who is there?"

"My mate. We need a change of plans. Divide the servants between the two of us and seek out singers. We may even try to hold a talent contest to trap them here. When we have twenty servants we are going to Procoen!"

The End.


End file.
